Description

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'A humorous and instructive guide to Elizabethan etiquette which should interest gentlemen of any century.' James Shapiro, author of 1599: A Year in the Life of Shakespeare

'An excellent reference tool for scholars and a wonderfully practical one for historical fencers, fight directors and actors seeking information or inspiration on swordplay in the 16th century.'
Richard Ryan, Fight Coordinator for Sherlock Holmes I & II, Troy, Stardust and The Golden Compass

A Gentleman's Guide to Duelling is a beautifully illustrated, lyrical guide to dueling etiquette in Elizabethan England. Its author, Vincentio Saviolo, was one of the great Italian fencing masters and a contemporary of William Shakespeare. In the 1590s, both Saviolo and Shakespeare were based in London's Blackfriars; Shakespeare's use of Italian fencing terminology in Romeo & Juliet is no surprise as it was written shortly after Saviolo's book was published.

Originally published under the title Of Honour and Honourable Quarrels Saviolo's guide is devoted to the art of settling a duel in a gentlemanly manner. It was written in a time when honor, virtue and codes of behavior were of grave importance; and the rapier was seen as ideally suited to settling the disputes of a gentleman.